The present invention relates to a semiconductor device, a manufacturing method for the semiconductor device, an electronic commerce method, and a transponder reader, and more particularly to a technique effectively applied to a structure of a wireless IC chip used to identify an object in a non-contact manner, an IC tag for wirelessly sending an identification number, a transponder, or the like.
For example, the following techniques can be taken as techniques examined by the inventors of the present invention with respect to a wireless IC tag employing a wireless IC chip and/or to a transponder reader etc.
For example, the wireless IC tag is fabricated with the structure as shown in FIG. 29. The structure is not the technique of the wireless IC tag but is obtained by applying the technique (see, for example, Patent Document 1) used in the manufacturing method for a semiconductor device such as a transistor. A plurality of electrodes (bumps or the like) 41 are formed on a wireless IC chip 16a, and these electrodes 41 are connected to conductors such as metal patterns 43 etc. on a substrate 44. In general, the metal pattern 43 is connected to an antenna pattern (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
In addition, there are some wireless IC tags in which an end of a loop-shaped antenna is connected to a plurality of electrodes formed on one surface (front surface) of a wireless IC chip (see, for example, Patent Documents 2, 3 and 4).
Also, the structure of the wireless IC tag is commonly adopted even in a wireless identification transponder.
Furthermore, there has not been a conventional system for utilizing an identification number of the transponder and a personal identification number of the cellular phone to make an order and a check, etc. by the cellular phone.
Also, an interrogator in the transponder reader repeats the identifying of one transponder, in accordance with a command from an upper connection machine connected to the interrogator via a wired or wireless means, to send back identification information to the upper connection machine.
An example of the transponder reader will be described with reference to FIG. 31. An upper connection machine such as a PC (personal computer) and an interrogator reading the identification information of the transponder through radio wave are connected via a serial or parallel interface such as RS232C etc.
For example, it is assumed that a reading command is issued from the PC 105 to the interrogator 106. The interrogator 106 sends reading wave to the transponder 103 in accordance with such command, and the transponder 103 receives rated energy and clock signal and sends identification information such as reading data (1) included in the transponder 103, to the interrogator 106 from the transponder 103. When confirming valid reception, that is, reception with no errors, the interrogator 106 transfers the reading data (1) to the PC 105 via the serial interface or the parallel interface. The PC 105 finally communicates the data to an application soft, by a software processing in an operating system. When receiving the data, the application soft issues the next reading command to demand data from the next transponder 104. During this time, the interrogator 106 moves and transmits reading wave to the next transponder 104.
In FIG. 31, although there is illustrated the case where the interrogator is movable, the model in which the transponder is movable is also all the same as the case. The transponder 104 transmits reading data (2) to the interrogator 106 through a predetermined procedure, and the interrogator 106 transfers the reading data (2) to the PC 105.
In FIG. 31, there is illustrated the case where the number of transponders is only one or two. However, even when three or more transponders are generally used, similarly the reading command is repeatedly sent to each of the transponders and data obtained therefrom are read.
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-119645 (Abstract in page 1 and the like, and FIG. 1(d))
[Patent Document 2]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-13296 (Abstract in page 1 and the like, and FIG. 3)
[Patent Document 3]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-76406 (Abstract in page 1 and the like, and FIG. 1).
[Patent Document 4]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-132653 (Abstract in page 1 and the like, and FIG. 1).